Current News from Kenya

Latest news from James Njaaga, the founder of the Njaaga Child Hope Home at which I volunteered in 2006.


Jambo Kasia

I hope you are fine, well that is not the same with us here in Kenya .

A lot has changed here in the last few days and things have changed from bad to worse especially in the Rift Valley even with the mediation talks on going.

Irregardless of what the International Media is reporting, about the said disputed polls, It has emerged that some communities have been preparing for war even before the general elections. To be specific, The Kalejin community under the leadership of Hon William Ruto of ODM have taken upon themselves to attack, kill, main and destroy the property of kikuyu and other communities in the rift valley..

As a result and as you may have heard,even with the on going mediation talks taking place,and even with the leaders calling for peace, Unprecedented chaos have rocked Nakuru district and the neighbouring villages especially the ones perceived to be kikuyu dominated. The intentions of these people are unknown and their manner of attack unpredictable.

I am writing to as a matter of urgency because, a few nights, a village neighbouring Kirengero ( appro - 2 kilometers) was attacked and houses set ablaze. the bad news is that these people are now camping at Kirengero Chiefs camp. I am very disturbed because this has happened too close to the home and even the children are very worried.

Some friends have suggested to me to relocate the children to safer places which is a good Idea so now I am having to move them to my residence in Nairobi while other will put up at the office dormitory since there is no business.

I would have done this earlier but my efforts were kind of put on hold on Sunday when I had a road accident. It was not an accident per se. The road had been barricaded by armed youths so as I attempted to drive away and escape them with their poisoned arrows I landed into a ditch and my car was badly damaged, I also sustained injuries on my back and neck. I am lucky to have been saved by the army personnel who found me before the youths could find me.

safety is my immediate concern for these kids and if I can achieve that, Then the issues of schooling, shelter, and food will be resolved latter when they are out of harms way

I will appreciate any assistance you can afford us at this time in form of advice, any contacts of people who can help us here and funds: I should note also that our tourism business is at standstill following the mass cancellations of safaris by clients and of course the travel advisories issued by some governments advising their citizens not to travel kKenya. In this regard I am between a rock and a hard place pertaining to the welfare of these young ones.

Please let me know that you have received this mail the soonest you can reply.

We are counting on your prayers to see us through this misery.


Yours truly

JAMES

James' contact info: njaagachild@africaonline.co.ke

Current News from Kenya

Correspondence from people who have been to Njaaga Child Hope Home, who are worried about what is happening right now and who are wanting to help out:



Hi everyone,

The situation is not good at all. I know the kids are fine and still safe now, but around Nakuru violence has spread into the villages. Susan (the social worker who used to work there) and her husband
Stephen just called me on Sunday morning as their friends in the village had been burnt and they had been forced to leave. and now they are trying to figure out how to get out. Ethnic violence is happening everyday and there is really no way for
people to protect themselves. Thousands of Kikuyu had come to Nakuru to escape Western Kenya so now there is a lot of tension in that area. People don't know where to go anymore, and don't know
what to do. The problem is nowhere close to sorting itself out. I am in communication with friends and Charles/James each week just to make sure things are ok with the kids. Horrible to see
what that country and its people are doing to each other. The hard thing is we don't really know what to do if things get worse in the Nakuru area, or where we would take the kids. They keep on
closing/reopening the border between Tanzania and Kenya as Tz does not have have the resources or money to help with the refugees. Kibaki is not going to step down and really that is the probably
one of the only things that might slow this down, except for the fact that some believe that ethnic cleansing has started and will just continue.

I'm due to talk to Njaaga tomorrow morning, as we want to make sure kids have food, and will fill you in on how things are.

Other than that, am loving Tanzania, got a new job now which is great-I work with all men which makes my work environment interesting. And my friend and I started a non-profit awaiting NGO status called "Barefeet International" so working on a few projects with that
after work, playing squash and running a bit as hoping to do the Mt.Kili half in March, loving my typical african days of seeing kids on bicycles that are WAY too big for them, having all of them yell mzungu at me and wave cause I'm a female driving a car,
having random babies put on my lap when i'm in the daladala (matatu), eating fresh veggies and fish that would be considered "organic" in Canada, being only able to cross 1 or 2 things off my to do list as in Africa every thing is pole pole (slowly slowly),
stare out at the sunsets over lake Victoria, and hang out with my youth who are still trying to teach me Swahili which I'm failing at miserably.

Hope you are all well.

Ania Wantuch



Hi Ann – I am trying to work through Feed the Children Canada, which is based out of Guelph but have a large presence in Nairobi. I connected them to James last year and Ken Dick, their President for the CDN chapter, visited the children’s home last September along with some reps from their local office. I have financed them twice to deliver provisions to the kids. I am prepared to provide more financial support if they can actually get through to the kid’s and deliver food and supplies. Any help in this regard would be wonderful – and they can issue tax receipts. I am just waiting to hear back. Other than that, the options are to provide financial support to James directly (given the situation I am not 100% sure the funds would get to the children) or find another NGO that can help on the ground. When I hear back from Feed the Children I’ll let you know.

Lynda Kuhn



Hi All,

I've been working on starting a letter writing campaign to urge some more awareness of the situation in Kenya. I haven't seen much come out from our government re: their role in peace talks etc.

Please read the attached and let me know how it sounds. I've only sent it to MPs so far in my area. So we can revamp...make it more general and perhaps get a petition list signed and sent (paper copy) to federal MPs.

With travel advisories etc...there will be a blow to his business and surely that will affect the children, especially if they have to relocate and cannot use the farm food for sustenance.

Cory and I went to a fundraiser in Toronto for Kibera slums. It was quite well done. Maybe this is something we can do? A friend, Lynda has been making donations to the orphanage through a third party called Feed the Children, maybe her contacts can help us assure the money for the children is used directly for the children.
Thoughts?

Ann Bala


Hy all,

I've been watching whats been happening in Kenya very
closely, wondering Ania if we need to divert our Kenya
team in May to Tanzania you could host them.

I am also wanting to figure out what we can do as
Global Youth Network to respond to this crises. I have
been in touch with our contacts in Uganda to see what
is happening with the refugee situation there. Haven't
heard anything yet. If you guys are interested in
throwing out some ideas of how we can respond I would
be totaly interested in working on some stuff.

Dave Skene

Current News from Kenya

Here is Ann's letter which she wrote in an attempt to urge greater awareness of the situation in Kenya. She's forwarding it to the MPs in her region. If any of you wish to do the same, please revamp it in whatever way you want. Use it as a template or just as an idea. But I completely agree with her that the more awareness we can raise the better.



January 29, 2008

To whom it may concern,

There is so much beauty to Kenya, beautiful landscapes, world famous national wildlife reserves, a plethora of shops filled with hand made art pieces, crowded vibrant streets filled with lively friendly people who always seem to greet one another as they pass by.

In 2005 I led a group of 14 McMaster University students on a volunteer learning trip
with Global Youth Network, to Kenya and we visited several rural and urban areas. Our
impressions regardless of the region, was one of quiet awe as we toured the country and were met by kind and hospitable people. We had visited a small rural village in the central region called Kirengero, and volunteered for 10 days at Njaaga’s Child Hope Orphanage. Quickly and easily we fell in love with the over 100 kids that lived
permanently in the orphanage. Each day was filled with activity, mishaps and laughter.

The children genuinely loved living in the orphanage and appreciated the opportunity it brought them, which primarily was attending school. On one trip to a nearby school I distinctly remember stopping in to visit a child’s grandmother’s hut. It was a simple red mud hut with a thatched roof and a bamboo fence. The dirt floor had been neatly swept that morning and chickens were floating about busily pecking away at left over grains. Our surprise visit seemed to bring the grandmother joy, because she smiled from ear to ear at us offering us tea and an interesting piece of meat the moment we entered. I later realized that the meat was likely the only food she had had and probably the best of what any villager would eat. This was the Kenyan way, especially in the village areas.

Over the past two years I have kept in contact with the children of Child Hope. Many of my team members and friends have revisited and continue to plan trips. However, due to the recent violence one team member’s trip was cut short and another one was cancelled. This was alarming. If it was unsafe for us to travel, then what about the children? Were they at risk?

I spent the next couple of days reading every news story I could. Talking to as many
Kenyans as I encountered, and emailing everyone whom had been in touch with Child
Hope. Its become quite clear now that the acts of violence have reached the region
surrounding Kirengero. I’ve heard from staff at the orphanage that houses in neighboring villages have been burnt down, and there is a feeling of unease about what to do with the children. Most children in the orphanage are Kikuyu, but the staff itself is a mix of tribes: Maasai, Kamba and Kikuyu. But still they were at risk.

I remember being there in 2005, and getting an earful from the cook saying that Kenyan’s were uniting and tribalism was dying out. There were stop tribalism campaign signs everywhere. So its hard for me to imagine how this level of violence that is currently occurring erupted. A good majority of newspaper articles suggest that it was a premeditated attack. Of this I am not sure. The fact is that the Kabaki government did well for Kenya in the past, but most Kenyan’s were ready for change. Even some Kikuyu’s I talked to said they supported Odinga, as it was good for the people to see change in their leaders. I also heard mixed reports on the election rigging and testimonies that suggest both parties falsified votes. But what else is new? Why did this warrant such large scale mob behavior?

Now however, I realize that the questions outlining how, and why of the situation are less important than the questions detailing “what” and “what now?” What can be done to stop the killings? We should be less focused on “who’s at fault?” and more focused on “what will it take to stop the current situation from intensifying?” If these killings accelerate it wont be long until it is at the scope of the genocides in Rwanda, and some say this point has already been reached. What is our government doing about it?

After Rwanda many people have hung their heads in shame saying that we, as Canadians and citizens of the world, hadn’t done enough. Well here is our chance. If we have learned anything from Rwanda, let it be that international attention is sometimes required for peace to break out. Our path and role may be unclear but that shouldn’t stop us from trying to help the people of Kenya.
I hope for the sake of my friends in Kenya and the many children at Child Hope that
peace breaks out soon. I pray that our government does all that it can to stop the violence in Kenya.


Sincerely,
Ann Balasubramaniam

Current News from Kenya

The Africa Experience has come to an End

It's been a while now since I've come back from Africa and I've been meaning to update the site ever since then.

First and foremost I would like to express my huge appreciation to all those who supported my fundraising endeavours that made the volunteer experience so much more meaningful both for myself and for the kids. If you still wish to contribute to Njaaga's Child Hope Home please do so either via the paypal account that is set up or by getting in touch with me.

Secondly, it goes without saying, but the trip and the volunteer experience were both fantastic. I loved every minute of it and every time I flip through my photos I wish I could still be there. Some time in the near future I hope to be able to put together a slideshow presentation from the trip that will incorporate photos, videos and music from Africa.

Finally I leave with you a letter sent to me by James Njaaga in which he informs me (us) that they had to move out of the current orphanage which they were renting and that they are in the process of purchasing their own building. If you wish to contribute more directly this is another fantastic way of doing so:

Jambo Kasia,
How are you doing? it has been quite a while since we communicated but my prayer is that all is well. We are all fine here at Njaaga Child Hope and all the kids are doing great.

We remain truly thankful for your visit and your support both morally and materially. Your compassion and kindness has made a very big and positive impact on the lifes of these children.

I just needed to update you on some important and urgent developments at the children's home. The current premises that we are occupying was up for sale and it has now been sold. We have a period of upto 5 months to come up with alternative and hopefully a permanent shelter solution for the children. We are now looking at various other options and we have already indentified a suitable alternative which is within reach of the schools that the children attend. We are currently looking for ways and means of raising enough funds to put a deposit for this land and house which amounts to USD90000.

We have made great efforts to achieve this and I started off by selling a plot I had here in the city and together with the contributions of my wife Lucy and our safari business www.planetkenyasafaris.com, we have raised USD20800.

We welcome your kind participation in this very challenging phase of our project. Any donations of any amount towards this can be done through the children's account which is:-
Njaaga Child Hope - Kenya Chapter
Kenya Commercial Bank - Moi Avenue
Account Number 234721640
Swift Code: KCBLKENX

God Bless you for all and please keep in touch.

Kind regards,
James Njaaga

Africa: Post-Volunteer Adventures

With the volunteering experience over, I will have a little time left to explore at least a bit of sub-saharan Africa. As it currently stands I hope these adventures will take me from Nairobi, through the Serengeti and past the shadow of Kilimanjaro and on to Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. The link below should take you to the crazy stories and experiences that will definitively take place along the way. For now though, don't expect anything there, since that part of the Journey through Africa will not begin until approximately mid June.

http://postvolunteeradventures.blogspot.com/

Africa: Photo Journal from the Journey

If you're not into reading and much rather prefer to just look at the photos, then this will be the link for you. I'll download whenever I can so that you can explore these amazing countries along with me.

http://photojourneyafrica.blogspot.com

Volunteering in Kenya: Pages from a Journal

The link below will hopefully not take you to an adlib recollection of funny experiences or bizarre facts, although that doesn't mean they won't be there. Rather I hope for this part of the blog to be as true and accurate a representation of my experience of working in Kenya as possible. The posts will hopefully be essentially an equivalent of a daily journal entry (although I can't promise that they'll be updated on a daily basis - that is simply not realistic.) Read if you so desire or if not just check out the pictures. But I do appreciate you stopping by either way.

http://pagesfromajournal.blogspot.com

Kenya: Photo Journal

This photo journal is an accompaniment to the posts that can be found at the above mentioned link. Words can only do so much. Hopefully the photos will be able to bridge at least some of the remaining gap. Enjoy.

http://photokenya.blogspot.com

Accepting Online Donations

Newly added features. If you wish to contribute to my cause and make a donation you can now do so via credit card, debit or pay pal payment. Just click on the donation link below:

(Credit card, debit card or Pay Pal payments accepted. Fast and secure!)

Or else go the the Fundraising/Volunteer Information website and click on the link there.

Thank you,

Kasia Koltunska

All Shows Done!

Thanks to all of you who came out to the shows and supported this cause. They were incredibly successful and I hope that everyone enjoyed them. Hopefully I'll be able to do some new ones after my return from Africa. Information about that will be available at:

http://adifferentkindofjourney.blogspot.com/

Kasia Koltunska

A Different Kind of Journey!

I have traveled much in the past. I have seen places that many will never get to see and experienced things that many will never get to experience. This is yet another journey, but it is not the same kind of journey. It is time for me to give back.

Two days after my last exam I fly out to Nairobi, Kenya. Starting May 1st, 2006 I will be working in connection with Volunteer Internship Community Development - Africa (VICDA). This local NGO is in charge of placements of volunteers throughout various communities in Kenya. My current commitment is to 6 weeks work at a children's orphanage.

The orphanage program cares for children who have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS and for children who have been abused by their parents. As a volunteer I will assist with the daily running of the orphanages; cleaning, bathing children, cooking etc. The evenings are spent playing with the children and helping them with their homework. As a volunteer I am also asked to take on a role as a sibling to the children - a relationship that is often taken for granted, but that these children are without.

In order to make this opportunity possible I need to fundraise a minimum of $1500US. This is to cover program expenses as well as to serve as a donation to the orphanage at which I will be working. It does not include my own expenses such as the flight. I hope however to raise more than this and am setting my goal at $3000. Over the next 3 months I will be organizing a number of slideshows and events in the hope of reaching this target. Any support is greatly appreciated and every dollar takes me a step closer.

If you would like to receive more information about the events or would like to contribute to this cause, please contact me at kaska_k@hotmail.com

For further information about the upcoming events as well as about the volunteering and Kenya in general please go to:

http://adifferentkindofjourney.blogspot.com/

I will be posting regular updates there along with any new information that becomes available to me.

Thank you,

Kasia Koltunska